Apparatus for making gromets



A. C. PRATT.

APPARATUS FORQMAKING GROMETS. APPLICATION FILED AP.30,191a.

1,327, 170, Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET L Figi- RK, ax,

A. C. PRATT.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING GHOMETS.

APPLlcATloN man APR.30,1918.

atented Jan. 6, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MIME/WOR f B y A. c. PRATT..

APPARATUS FOB MAKING GROMETS.

APPLlCATlON FILED APR'. 30,ll9l8.

1,327,170. Patented Jan. 6,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR lTED ST'lES T QFFICE,

ALPHONSO COMSTOCK PRATT, OF DEEP RIVER, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING GROMETS.

Application filed April 30, 1918.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALM-1o.` so Cons'l'oon lna'rr, a citizen of theUnited States, residingl at lcep River, in the county of Middlesex',State ol' Connecticut', have invented certain new and usel'ulImprovements in Apparatus 'lior Making' (,lrromets; and l d0 hcreliydeclare the following to lie a full, clean-and exact description ot theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the saine,

This invention relates to the art of inaking` grromets of the type/nonvcommonly used in automobile tires, more particularly tires ot' the,so-called straight side type. rl`hc manufacture ot' such Qromets asheretofore conducted, has been primarily a manual operation requiring'the expenditure ot considerable time and lallor and makingn ille costol" the completed promets comparatively high. The present invention isdirected to the provision ol' a method and apparatus `l'or malfiiiglrroinets whereby material saving' in tlul cost o'lI production isell'eced without any sacrifice in thc strength or other desirablecharactcristics ol the lL'romcts.

(lromets ot the type commonly used in the imn'mlacture ot automobiletires consist oll a plurality ol' convolutions ol. a single length olWire, one convolution torining a core and the other convolutions licinp;lient to a spiral formation and wound upon lllis core. Thus, a usualconstruction consists ol seven convolutions, a core, and six-ronvolutions ot' spirals thereon, the spirals ot' thc six convolutionslying' side h v side around the circnnrlerence of the groniet.

'The method ot' nialvine` gromcts constituting the present inventioninvolves lirst mal-:ingY a core hy hendii'igr the end oi a piece ol:wire lo a circle otI the size ot the coinpleted gromet and then movingthis coro inthe lorm ol a ring` continuously about the axis ol' theringiA and at the same time Wiluling the spirals ol"l the outerconvolutions upon the core hy causing the 'feeding ol the core to dran'the ivjii'c oit from a supply device while that supply device is heine'constantly rotated about the core in correspondence With the :feedingmovement ot the core about its axis. Thus, a circular support tor thecore and the `partially completed gromet may be provided and a pair ol'power-driven 'feeding` rollers pressed Specication of Letters Patent.

y Patented Jan. 6, 92@

Serial No. 231,661.

tovvard each other by suitable springs may he mounted 1n position torleedmgahc core ,and the partially cmnpleted ri-01net about core and assuccessive convolutions of the gromet are Wound, the spirals thereofsinne their appropriate positions side by side upon the core. Atensioning device is pre'leralily employed in conjunction With thesupply-reel so as to subject the Wire which is applied to the core toconsiderable vtension ,vherelay the Wire is bent to its spiraltorination and laid tightly upon the core.

The ineferred procedure involves interrupting` the operation of Windingthe spirals upon the core prior to the completion ol the lastconvolution ot' spirals, cuttin;l thc wire termino` the core at asuitalile distance hack from the joint lic-tween the ends ol the lengthof wire forming the core. and witlidrawino the portion ot' the core socut; then the operation ot' winding the spirals is resumed so as tocomplete the formation oit the desired nunihcr of convolutionf-l olspirals and a straight length ot `wire extending' beyond the end of thelast .fonvolution ot spirals and corresponding' in length to the portionot the core that `was cut away is forced in lietiveen the spirals so asto lie Within them and coinglete the circle ot the core.

The structural characteristics ot a niachine constructed in accordanceWith the present invention and my improved method ot' operation will hebetter understood by reference to the Yfollowingv description taken inconnection with toe accompanying drawing-s which illustrate theconstruction ot the machine at present preferrech lm these drawings,Figure l is a plan view of the machine; Fig. 2 ils a vien7 of certain ofthe parts show' in l on an enlarged scale, some of lthe parts being inhorizontal ion; Fig. 3 a. view in elevation of the lill? parts shown inFig. 2; Fig. t is a View in elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3 fromthe opposite side thereof; Fig. 5 is a seetional detail View on line 5-5of Fig. 2; lFig. 6 is a sectional detail view along the axis of the coreof the gromet fis-indicated by the reference numerals 6-6 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view through the guide for the wireLthe sectionbeing on line 7-7 of Fig. 8; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view of thetension device on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring to these drawings, a circular support is provided as shown inFig. 1 yfor supporting the core and the partially completed grometduring the operation of winding the c'onvolutions of spirals upon thecore. This circular support consists of a ring 9 having a trough -in theupper-face thereof corresponding to the size of the completed gromet. Acover is provided for covering the groove and holding the gromet inplace. This cover preferably consists of two substantially semi-circularparts 10 and 11l pivoted upon the ring 9 at 12 so that the two portionsof the cover may be moved away from each other about the vertical axes12 to permit of removing a completed gromet, from the groove in the ring9. The

core of the gromet and the partiallycompleted gromet are moved around inthe groove in the supporting ring 9 about the axis of the circle of thegroinet by a pair of feeding rollers 13 and 14. lThese rollers areprovided with intel-meshing gears 1.)' and 16. The shaft 17 of the lowerfeeding'roller la lies within an opening in a journal 18 which isadapted to move vertically in ways formed in a block 19 which isintegral with or secured to the ring 9 in an opening near one end of thering, the ring being interrupted for a short space at the point wherethe spirals are laid upon the core, as shown in Fig. 2. The journal 1Scarrying the feeding roller 14 is constantly pressed upwardly in theways in the block 19 by spiral springs 20 which may be provided withmeans for adjusting their tension, as indicated at 21 in Fig. 5. Theshaft of the uppe'r feeding roller 13 is similarly carried by a journiil22 which is mounted for vertical movement in a block 23 and the roller13 is similarly pressed downwardly by springs 2l whose tension may beadjusted as shown at 25. The block which carries the upper roller 13 issecured to or formed integral with a plate 26 which is connected by ahinge 27 to the end of' the covei.plate lOfor one-half of the ringsupport 9. Thus7 the whole plate 26 and the upper feeding roller 13carried by it mayy be swung about a horizontal to raise the roller 13from the roller 14. At the extreme end of the ring 9 just beyondtheblock 19 are a pair of integral spaced perforated ears 28 extendingupwardly from it and on the 'end of adapted to fit; between the ears 28when the plate 26 is swung to its downward posi-V tion as shown in Fig.6. A pin 30 may be inserted through the perforations in the ears 28 andprojection 29 to hold the plate 26 in this operative position with thefeeding rollers 13 and 14 in position for eoaction with the convolutionforniing the core of the gromet or several convolutions of the partiallycompleted gromet. The plate 26 with its projection 29 also has one-halfof a. funnel-shaped mouth-piece 31 formed on it and cooperating with asimilarly formed portion of the mouthpiece on the end of the ring 9.

The shaft of the upper feed roller 13 is extended beyond the gear 15 andcarries a. gear which meshes with -a pinion; 33 carried by a shaft 3stwhich is mounted in bearings formed 0n a supporting plate 35 which issecured to the supporting structure 36 of the ring 9. Two pairs ofbeveled gears 37 and a short shaft 38 mounted on the plate 35 connectthe shaft 34 with a shaft 39 on which is a bevel gear L10, the hub ofwhich is provided with a threaded opening to receive a set screw 41 bywhich the gear @t0 may be secured to the `shaft 39. The end of shaft 39is square'd as shown at 42 for the application of a 4tool by which theshaft 39 and the parts driven thereby may be rotated by hand whendesired.

The gear 4() meshes with a gear 43 secured to a ring- 44 on which aiegear teeth 45 meshing with a pinion 46'011 a driving shaft 17 to whichrotary motion may be communicated in any suitable manner, as by means ofthe belt i8 ruiming on a pulley on the shaft. The ring L14 may beiotatedby this gearing in a stationary supporting ring 49 mounted upon thesupporting structure of the machine, and when this ring rotatesI withits gear 43. in mesh with the gear l0, its rotary motion drivesvthefeeding .mechanism above described consisting of the feeding rollers 13and 1l which are connected .to the shaft of the gear 40. Secured to therotating ring 44 is an arin 50 carrying a yoke 51 in which a supply reel52 is mounted for rotation on its axis.

The arm 50 also carries a guide 53 for the wire which is wound to formthe convolutions of the groniet. This .guide is shown in sei-tion inFig. 7. It consists of.

having groovesin their peripheries in which the wire 56 is received.These rollers have conical openings through them and are mounted onshafts 57 and 58 on which are conical surfaces corresponding to theopenings through the rollers. Each of the shafts 57 and 58 is undertension in the direction of its axis exerted by a. spring 59 between I awasher 60 resting against the bearing for the shaft and adjustable nutson the threaded end of the Shaft. The bearings 61 for the shaft 58 ofthe upper roller 55 are movable in ways and are pressed by springs 62downwardly to cause the wire 5G to be gripped between the rollers 54 andThe operation of the mechanism thus constructed in the manufacture of agroinet will now be described. A reel of wire 52 is mounted in positionupon the support 51 and the end of the wire is carried between thetension rollers 54: and 55 and through the guide 53 and its end isinserted through the funnel 31 and between the feeding rollers 13 and1li. The set screw 11 of the rear 40 is loosened and the gear is movedback out of mesh with the gear 43. Then a crank is applied tothe squaredend of the shaft 39 and that shaft is turned so as to rotate the feedrollers 13 and 14 in a direction to' feed the wire between them'. Thewire is thus drawn off from the reel 52 through the guide 53 and fedaround in .the trough in the supporting' rino' l) until one completeconvolution of wire free `from spirals is formed.

continued until the extreme end of the wire has been carried all the wayaround about the aXis of the ring S) and enters between the feeding;-rollers 13 and 14 so that those rollers then `gri p the extreme end ofthe wire and also the wire at the other end of that convolution whichforms the core. The gear et() is then moved back into mesh with the gear43 and is secured upon shaft 39 by a set screw .41, the crank beingremoved from the end l2 of the shaft. Power is then applied to the shaft-l7 to rotate the rotary ring support itl. rllhis causes the reel ofwire 52 and the guide 553 to be rotated about the core of the gri-ometand at the same time it drives the feeder rollers 13 and 1st through thegears 43 and 40. Thus, the core of the gromet is fed continuously aboutthe axis of the circle of the core and in correspondence with thisfeeding movement of the partially completed gromet the reel 52 fromwhich the wire is supplied is rotated about the core. The feedingrmovement of the core and the zQjrip ot the feeding' rollers upon thewire causes the wire to be drawn ott from reel 52 in eorrespmidence withthe feeding movement of the gromet and as the wire is drawn off from thereel it is wound spirally upon thecore. The grin of the tension rollers54 o and 55 and the friction of the wire as it is rlhis manner offeeding,r the wire by hand is l into the funnel by the feeding'movement,`

and it is laid on the core in a succession of l spirals. The feeding`movement must be accurately proportioned so that after the iirstconvolution of spirals is laid upon the core, the spirals of the 'secondconvolution will take position close beside the spirals of the firstconvolution. The operation is continued in this manner, applyingsuccessive eonvolutions of spirals ,to the core until the spaces betweenthe spirals of the first con volution have been lilled. A

In order to take care of the end of the piece of wire from which thegroiuet formed properly, l prefer to interrupt the operation ofwinding;` the convolutions of spirals upon the core soniewhat prior tothe completion of the last convolution of spirals.

Then, with a suitable tool it is possible to cut olf a short length ofwire at the. end of the core, that is, a short piece of the wire formingthe core from the end which was first fed into the groove in the ring'9, This piece of wire may be cut olf by insertingl a cuttingl toolbetween the spirals wound on the core and the piece so severed may thenbe eutirehY witlulrawn. rlheu, after comw pleting` the last convolutionof spirals, a length of straight wire .mayY lic provided at that end ofthe piece from which the `egroiuet is formed, for instance, by cuttingthe piece of wire at a point between the ,guide and the reel ln thiscondition the fi-omet may be removed from the machine b v withdrawing'the pin 30, turning' the plate 2G through substantiall)v 180o, andmoving' the cover-plates l0 and ll about the axes to permit the `"rometto be removed from the groove in ringv 9. The ,g'romet still lies withinthe stationary ring' -lfl and the rotary rino 4l, and in order to permitof its removal therefrom these two rings are provided with removable and1'e1' la 'eal le sections as is indicated at l() aud il on Fins. il andl. After the gromet in this condition has been rl moved from themachine, the straight piece of wire at the end of the last convolutionof spirals is forced in between spirals so as to occupy the centralspaee for the core provided by cutting away a portion of the completecore originally formed. lf this straight extension of the lastconvolution ol' the promet be eut acclnately as to its length, it willcomplete the core accurately and its end will abut against the other endof the length of wire from which the Agromet is formed. and if desired,theseI two ends may be welded together electrically.

It the size of the wire employed in the i ee purpose the feed of thewire for the core,

Will be continued until the extreme end of the. wire, after passing allthe way around through the groove in the ring 9, comes between the. feedrollers 13 and 14. Then the pin 30 would be withdrawn' and the plate 26.turned to its open position. Then With a suitable electric welding toolthe end of the wire would be electrically welded to the portion of thewire lyingat its side. Then7 on restoringr the plate 26 to its originalposition, the two feed rollers 13 and 11 would grip the. core and feedthe entire core around about the axis of the circle of the ring t),insuring that the wire passing from the guide 53 into the funnel 31would be spiraled upon the core properly.

l claim:

1. The method of making a gromet which consists in beudin(r the endportion of a' piece of wire. to a circle and supporting the wii'eagainst displacement from the. position to constitute a core for thegromet and then automatically feeding this circular core continuouslyabout the axis of the circle-of the core while thus supported and atthe. same time rotating the wire from which the gromet is formed aboutthe core in correspondence with the feeding movement of the core to laythe wire in regular spirals upon the core; substantially as de scribed.

. 2. The method of making a gromet which consists in drawing oti` \vii'efrom a reel and bending it to a circle to form a core, supporting thecore against displaceiiieut from position, gripping the wire at the endsof the. core.. and autoiiiaticall;7 feeding the core continuously aboutthe axis of the circle of the core while thus supported` and at the sametime rotating` the. reel of wire about 'the core. in ciirrespoiulencewith the feeding movement of the core to 'wind successive. convolutiousof regular spirals upon the core; substantially as described.

3. The method of making a groniet which consists iii drawing off wirefrom a reel and bending it to a circle to form a core and supporting itagainst displaceiiieut from positiom'causing a feeding device. to

grip the wire. at they ends'of the core. and then operating the feedingdevice to automatically feed the core continuously about throughout theentire extent thereof, a

feeder for gripping the core and the partially completed groinet, meansfor operating the feeder to feed the partially completed gromet aboutthe axis of the circular support therefor, means for supporting -a reelof the wire from which the gromet is formed, and means for rotating thereel about the partially completed gromet in correspondence with thefeeding movementof the gromet about its axis; substantially asdescribed.

A machine for making gromets comprising the combination of a circularele` ment in which the circular core of a g'ron'iet and a partiallycompleted gromet are positively supported throughout the entire extentthereof,V a pair of feeding rollers adapted to grip the core and thepartially completed gromet between them, a reel for the wire from whichthe groinet is formed, and a single means for rotating the reel of wireabout the groniet and for operating the feeding rollers to feed thepartially completed gromet continuously about its axis; substantially asdescribed.

G. A machine for making gromets ooma. guide '.arried by the ring, a reelcarried gromet is formed, which wire passes through the guide, acircular support for the partially completed gromet extending throughthe ring, and means for feedinga partially completed groniet along thesupport and about its axis and rotat-ingthe ring `ai'r ,iiug the reeland the guide in co1'- i'espondence with the. feeding inoven'ient ofthe. gromet:` substantially as described.

7. A machine for making gromets comprising the combination of a rotaryring, a support thereon for the wire from which the groiiiet is formed,a tension device carried b v thev ringffor subjecting the wire totension. a circular support for the partially completed gromet passingthrough the ring, :ind means for feeding a partially coinpleted gronietabout. its axis upon the oirciilai' support and for rotating the ringcarrying the reel and the tension device in correspondence with the.feeding movement of the -groiiiet'; substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

by the. ring for the wire from which the`

